Women to know

You likely haven't heard of the majority of these women, but learning more about their achievements is well worth your time. Some of them wield political, business or civic power, while others express creativity and strength through their writing, research, art or activism. Some were born to fame and wealth, while others were barely known in their own lifetimes and even less so now. All are of interest if you want to expand your knowledge of fascinating women around the world.

Generally speaking, unless it's pertinent to their work or it constitutes a first of some kind, the races and sexual orientations of these women are not disclosed. Nor are their family relationships: whose daughter, wife, mother, etc. they were or are. Nor are their titles: inherited, awarded or earned. They appear in alphabetical order by first name. We welcome suggestions for this ever-expanding list.

When did caring for children become a "labor of love," smothered under a blanket of sentimentality that hides its economic importance? ― ANN CRITTENDEN

I'm not just a feminist ― I'm a feminist-plus. ― Buchi Emecheta

BabeDidrikson Zaharias (1911 – 1956). Norwegian-American. Athlete polymath who excelled in track and field, golf and basketball. after winning two track and field gold medals at the 1932 Olympics, she turned to golf and won ten major LPGA championships.

Barbara Corcoran (b. 1949). American. Businesswoman, investor and syndicated columnist. In 1973, co-founded a real estate business with a $1,000 loan from her boyfriend. Sold the business in 2001 for $66 million.

Benka Pulko (b. 1967). Slovenian. Writer, photographer and Guinness World Record holder for having been the first woman to travel solo to all seven continents via motorcycle. Her other records include having been the first woman motorcyclist to reach Antarctica and the first woman motorcyclist to ride solo across Saudi Arabia.

Berenice Abbott (1898 – 1991). American. Photographer best-known for portraits of major mid-20th century cultural figures and depictions of New York City architecture and urban design in the 1930's.

Berthe Morisot (1841 – 1895). French. Impressionist painter.

Bette Davis (1908 – 1989). American. Actress.

Blanka Vlašić(b. 1983). Croatian. Athlete specializing in the high jump.

Bronte Campbell (b. 1994). Malawian-born Australian. Athlete. Competitive swimmer who won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics as part of the 4 X 100 m. freestyle relay team, in which the team set a new world record.

Buchi Emecheta (1944 – 2017). Nigerian-British. Novelist.

I sincerely want peace ― not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed. ― CATHERINE II

Caterine Ibargüen (b. 1984). Colombian. Athlete who competes in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. She won a gold medal at the 2016 summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2012 summer Olympics.

Catherine II (1729 – 1796). German-Russian. Longest-ruling tsarina of Russia. Patron of the arts who presided over the Russian Enlightenment.

Diane Arbus (1923 – 1971). American. Photographer and writer noted for her portraits of those essentially living on the margins: transgender people, dwarfs, circus performers and more.

Diane von Fürstenberg (b. 1946). Belgian-born American. Clothing designer and long-time president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Deborah Samson (1760 – 1827). American. Disguised herself as a man to serve 17 months in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Wounded, honorably discharged and successfully petitioned Congress for a pension like those given to male soldiers.

Dobet Gnahoré (b. 1982). Ivorian. Singer.

Dolores Huerta (b. 1930). American. Labor leader, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farmerworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). Recipient of many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Doris Lessing (1919 – 2013). Iranian-born English. Novelist, short story writer and librettist. She was the eleventh woman and the oldest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (2007).

Dorothea von Rodde-Schlözer (1770 – 1825). German. Scholar and first woman to earn a PhD in Germany. Fluent in nine languages by age 16.

Edith Hamilton (1867 – 1963). German-born American. Writer and educator who is generally considered to be the greatest woman classicist. Her books Mythology, The Greek Way and The Roman Way are enduring classics of the genre.

Edna Lewis (1916 – 2006). American. Chef and author best-known for her books about traditional southern American food and cooking.

Eleanor Holmes Norton (b. 1937). American. Congresswoman, civil rights activist, lawyer. In 1970, represented 60 female Newsweek employees who had filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, stating that Newsweek allowed only men to be reporters. The women won the case.

Eudora Welty (1909 – 2001). American. Short story writer and novelist. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980.

Evelyn Glennie (b. 1965). Scottish. Percussionist.

To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind, you draw large and startling figures. ― flannery o'connor

Fabiana Murer (b. 1981). Brazilian. Athlete who holds the South American record for pole vaulting. Gold medal winner in pole vaulting at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.

Fannie Farmer (1857 – 1915). American. Culinary writer who was the first to publish recipes featuring exact measurements, detailed directions and information on nutrition and sanitation in the kitchen. Her Boston Cooking-School Cook Book remains in print today.

Hedy Lamarr (1914 – 2000). Austrian-American. Inventor and actress. During WWII, Lamarr and George Antheil developed a radio guidance system, the principles of which are fundamental to modern Wi-Fi, DCMA and Bluetooth technologies.

Helene D. Gayle (b. ?). Physician and CEO of McKinsey Social Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing a wide variety of global and social challenges.

I was put in this world to change it. ― Käthe KOLLWITZ

Kara Walker (b. 1969). American. Artist best-known for her work as a silhouettist, painter and printmaker.

Katarina Witt (b. 1965). German. Athlete who won gold medals in figure skating at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo and at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. She also won world championships in figure skating in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

Käthe Kollwitz (1867 – 1945). German. Painter, sculptor and printmaker. The first woman elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts.

Kyung-Sook Shin (b. 1963). South Korean. Writer and 2011 winner of the Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award.

Lynn Nottage (b. 1964). American. Playwright. She was a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow, a 2007 MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellow and a 2009 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Lydia Taft (1712 – 1778). American. First woman to have voted legally in the United States. When her husband and 18-year old son died within two weeks of each other and an important vote loomed regarding support for the French and Indian War, she was allowed to vote at a town meeting in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Her vote is recorded in minutes of the meeting and thus preceded the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution by 164 years.

Women are repeatedly accused of taking things personally. I cannot see any other honest way of taking them. ― MARYA MANNES

M. F. K. Fisher (1908 – 1992). American. Writer and memoirist who wrote 27 books having mostly to do with food, cooking and travel. Her works include a translation of Brillat-Savarin's classic The Physiology of Taste.

Madeleine Albright (b. 1937). Czech-born American. Diplomat and the first woman United States Secretary of State.

Maria Tallchief (1925 – 2013). Native American. Generally considered to be the first American prima ballerina. The first major star of the New York City Ballet and later, director of ballet for the Chicago Lyric Opera.

The only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet. ― Nadia Comăneci

Nadia Comăneci (b. 1962). Romanian. At age 14, became the first person ever to earn perfect scores in Olympic gymnastics. Went on to win multiple Olympic medals, including three golds in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.

Nafis Sadik (b. 1929). Indian-born Pakistani. Advocate for the health of women and children. Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General and Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia.

Namsa Leuba (b. 1982). Swiss-Guinean. Photographer and art director.

Navi Pillay (b. 1941). South African. Jurist and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 through 2014.

Nellie L. McClung (1873 – 1951). Canadian. Politician, writer and social activist. In 1927, launched the “Persons Case” with four other women, contending that women are “qualified persons” and therefore eligible to serve in the Canadian senate. The case was won on appeal.

Truth is always exciting. ― Pearl S. Buck

Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876 – 1907). German. Important early expressionist painter. She has become recognized as one of the first female painters to regularly paint female nudes.

Pearl S. Buck (1892 – 1973). Chinese-born American. Writer and 1932 Pulitzer Prize winner for her 1931 novel The Good Earth. In 1938, she became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Pelin Çakar (b. ?). Turkish. Chef and restaurateur.

Quvenzhané Wallis (b. 2003). American. At age nine, became the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her role in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” – a role she filmed at age six. Simultaneously, she became the first person born in the 21st century to be nominated for an Academy Award in acting.

Shirin Neshat (b. 1957). Iranian. Artist primarily known for her work in film, video and photography.

Shirley Robertson (b. 1968). Scottish. Sailor. First British woman to win Olympic gold medals at consecutive games (Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004).

Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850 – 1891). Russian. Mathematician specializing in partial differential equations and mechanics. First woman appointed to a full professorship in northern Europe and one of the first women to edit a scientific journal.

Suiko (554 – 628). Japanese. First Empress of Japan from 593 to 648 and 33rd monarch of Japan.

Udomporn Polsak (b. 1981). Thai. Athlete who won the gold medal in weightlifting at the 2004 Olympics, thus becoming the first Thai woman to win any Olympic gold medal.

Ursula Burns (b. 1958). American-Panamanian. Since 2010, chairman of Xerox. Former CEO of Xerox from 2009 through 2016. First African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company.

Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929). American. Writer of novels, children’s books, essays and poetry. Winner of many honors, including the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. ― VICTORIA I

Vanessa Redgrave (b. 1937). English. Actress and activist.

Venus Williams (b. 1980). American. Athlete and professional tennis player who, with her sister Serena, is considered one of the all-time greats in tennis in general, and especially in women's tennis. She has won four Olympic gold medals in singles and one silver medal (in mixed doubles), in addition to seven Grand Slam tennis titles.

Vera Brittain (1893 – 1970). English. Writer, pacifist and nurse.

Victoria I (1819 – 1901). English. Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 through 1901.

Viola Davis (b. 1965). American. Actress. She is the first African-American actor to win the "triple crown" of acting: an Emmy, an Academy Award and a Tony.

Violet Keppel Trefusis (1894 – 1972). English. Writer in both English and French.

Happiness comes from the ability each of us has to come up with convincing responses to our own questions. ― Werewere Liking

Wang Yani (b. 1975). Chinese. One of her paintings was chosen to appear on a postage stamp when she was just eight years old.

Werewere Liking (b. 1950). Cameroonian. Playwright and performer.

Wilma Rudolph (1940 – 1994). American. Athlete and civil rights and women's rights pioneer. Rudolph excelled at track and field sprinting. At the 1960 summer Olympics in Rome, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics.

Yaa Asantewaa (1840 – 1921). Akan. Ejisuhene [queen] of Ejisu, now a region in modern Ghana. In 1900, she led the rebellion against British colonialism known as the War of the Golden Stool.

Yarisley Silva (b. 1987). Cuban. Athlete who competes in pole vaulting. She won the silver medal in pole vaulting at the 2012 summer Olympics, becoming the first Latin American woman to win a pole vaulting medal.